The Urbanist
Monocle’s guide to better cities. Explore urban innovation, cutting-edge infrastructure, and compact living with insights from planners, architects, and city leaders.
Latest Episodes
Resite 2019: Revisited
We’re back in Prague to zoom in on some of the big projects and bold ideas that emerged from Resite 2019. From the waterways of New York to the alleyways of Beijing, we we seek out the highlights from this year’s event.
Resite 2019: Regenerate
We decamp to Prague to join the 1,000+ attendees at this year’s reSITE conference. Exploring the theme of regeneration, we bring you conversations and contemplations from some of the most interesting names in the urban-planning world.
Heritage, part two
Cities are tasked with protecting their historic environments but how can they do this in a way that preserves the sites while keeping them accessible to the public?
Heritage, part one
As our cities grow, they face difficulties reconciling conservation and development. So how can we move forward while preserving the history of a place? This week we examine how heritage can be both a blessing and a curse for the urban environment.
Cities in extremes
We cast our eyes towards a few of the world’s most extreme cities, from an isolated Australian outpost to the heights of the Valley of Mexico, to assess how their unique challenges have shaped their urban environments.
Repurpose
Repurposing and renovation are crucial tools for implementing urban change. This week we look at the Battersea Power Station, hear about a new cultural hub, housed in a former clothes factory in Georgia and turn our gaze to Moscow too.
Universal basic income
How do you define what’s necessary to meet a person’s basic needs? Some countries have been testing the concept of universal basic income – but how does it impact city living?
Heatwave
Following one of the hottest summers on record, we look at the impact that rising temperatures are having on our cities.
Pedestrian zones
To make their centres more liveable, cities across the globe are looking to reduce the dominance of cars by creating pedestrian-only streets, plazas and walkways. They’re at the forefront of many urban-improvement initiatives so we take a look at where they have come from and why people love them or…
Homelessness
It’s estimated that as many as 1.6 billion people around the world lack adequate housing. And despite some serious efforts, urban areas still struggle to find a viable solution to the ongoing crisis. So what can be done? And who are the activists and civic leaders championing change?
